Research Instruments

Sources of data may be classified into two main groups: primary sources, which are the life blood of historical research; and secondary sources, which may be used in the absence of, or to supplement, primary data.

Primary sources of data have been described as those items that are original to the problem under study. Category two includes not only written and oral testimony given by actual participants or witnesses, but also the participants themselves. Whether or not these sources were meant for the intent purpose of passing on information is irrelevant. If a source is, intentionally or unintentionally, capable of transmitting a first-hand account of an event, it is considered a source of primary data.

Secondary sources are those that do not bear a direct physical relationship to the event being studied. This includes third person accounts etc. Best (1970) points out those secondary sources are of limited worth because of the errors that result when information is passed on from one person to another. The importance of using primary sources where possible cannot be stressed enough. The value, too, of secondary sources should not be minimized.

The review of the literature in other forms of educational research is regarded as a preparatory stage to gathering data and serves to acquaint researchers with previous research on the topics they are studying (Travers, 1969). The function of the review of the literature in historical research is different in that it provides the data for research; the researchers’ acceptance or otherwise of their hypotheses will depend on their selection of information from the review and the interpretation they put on it. Borg (1963) has identified other differences: one is that the historical researcher will have to peruse longer documents than the empirical researcher who normally studies articles very much more succinct and precise. And one final point document in education often consists of unpublished material and is therefore less accessible than reports of empirical studies in professional journals